A porter at the Milton Harbor House, a cooperative apartment complex in Rye, the 39-year-old Bronx man said he relied on the bus as a convenient and cost-effective connection from the Metro North Train Station. Now he takes a cab from the Rye or Harrison train stations that typically run him anywhere from $8 to $18 a ride.

The bus was $2.25.

“Life is getting expensive,” he said. “They have to restore the bus. We need it.”

Saladana was among roughly 20 people, including residents, workers and lawmakers who take issue with Astorino’s cancellation of the line; they held a protest Friday in front of the Milton Harbor House in Rye calling on Astorino to restore the route or extend another line through their neighborhood. They say the line is vital to the community and a necessary link to the Metro North Train Station.

“It’s disgusting, it’s really disgusting,” said Dinah Moche, a 75 year old resident of the Harbor House who moved there in 1994 because of its proximity to mass transit. “It would be impossible to live here” without the bus. “There’s no parking at the train station.”

Although Westchester County contracts with Liberty Lines to operate its countywide Bee Line Bus System, the 76 line was run by a separate, smaller operator, Port Chester-Rye Transit. The county executive canceled that contract in an effort to save $243,436.

In its place, Astorino extended the 13 bus route from Ossining, but it didn’t go all the way into Milton Point, a wealthy waterfront neighborhood comprised of large homes, estates, beach clubs and several cooperatives. That would have been too expensive, they have said.

The Astorino administration said it changed this route because it was losing $8 per ride and only had 160 riders. And although the Board of Legislators restored the money in the budget (through a veto-override), they are within their rights to modify the buses. They have said this change only affected 30 riders.

“It’s not economically feasible to subsidize $8,000 per rider,” said Jessica Proud, a spokeswoman for Astorino.

During a speech before the business community this week, Astorino said that until New York state eases up on mandates, he’ll have to make tough choices like cutting bus routes, day care and other services and programs that people rely on.

Legislator Judy Myers, D-Mamaroneck, whose district encompasses Rye, said the county executive “chose to ignore” the board and its override.

Like other public services such as police, fire and others, mass transportation isn’t supposed to make money, she said, and it provides intangible benefits to residents, workers and small businesses.

“Mass transit, by definition is subsidized for the masses,” she said. “This is having an impact far beyond the savings. … Public input was never sought before the cancelation of this route.”

With a seven year wait for a parking pass at Rye’s train station, Steve Vasko, 48, relied on the bus as a convenient way to get to the train station for his daily commute into Manhattan. Now that it’s gone, he has to shell out an additional $10 a day for a cab.

“You’re talking about a couple thousand dollars a year in additional expenses,” he said. “You’re cutting costs in one area, but you’re not really taking savings … The savings are coming on the backs of people in Rye.”

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